Rotary engine.



W. H. WEDDINGTON.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1910.

. 95,505 Patented June 2 0, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses. Inventor.

W. H. WBDDINGTON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1910.

995,505. Patented June 20, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nu: Nomi: PETERS C0,, WASHINGTON, n c.

WILLIAM H. WEDDINGTON, OF LANKERSHIM, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1911.

Application filed September 19, 1910. Serial No. 582,668.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM II. WED- DINGTON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lankershim, in the county of Los Angeles and Stateof California, have invented new and useful Improvements in RotaryEngines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary engines, and the object is to providean engine of this type having an improved valve arrangement permittingthe engine to be constructed in such a way that the moving parts of theengine are perfectly balanced, and to produce an engine which will runin either direction with equal facility.

In this annexed drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1is a horizontal section taken through the engine, certain parts beingbroken away and shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, theshaft being shown in cross section and admission and exhaust pipes beingshown broken away. Fig. 3 is a cross section upon an enlarged scaletaken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a section taken through themain valve of the engine.

Referring more particularly to the parts,'

5 represents a tubular shaft which passes through the engine casing,said casing consisting of a body or barrel 6, to the ends of which heads7 and 8 are attached. These heads project beyond the barrel and areconnected by bolts 9, as shown. The middle portion of this barrel, asindicated in Fig. 3, is bored to form a main cylinder 10, and onopposite sides of this main cylinder 10 bores are formed constitutingrollers 11. The body 6 is formed in three sections, the middle section 6and two side sections 6". These side sections 6 are of half the lengthof the section 6*, as shown in Fig. 1, and are separated from the middlesection by plates 12 that divide the main cylinder 10 and the cylinders11 into three compartments. These plates 12 are provided with dowel pins13, which project into the adjacent edges of the sections 6 and 6 andinsure a proper centering of the plates, as will be readily understood.The tubular shaft 5 passes continuously through the plates 12, asindicated.

lVithin the main cylinder 10 I provide a rotary piston having a tubularhub 14: through which the tubular shaft 5 passes, as indicated, and atone point the rotary piston is formed with a radial head 15. The outerportion of this radial head 15 is enlarged so as to give the head theform of a fan tail in cross section. The forward and rear sides of thehead, with respect to the direction of rotation, are formed with concavefaces 16. In the hub 14 adjacent to the faces 16 ports 17 and 18 areformed, and these ports 17 and 18 are extended through the tubular shaft5 and communicate with ducts 19 and 20 respectively, which are formed inthe central sleeve 21 disposed within the tubular shaft, as shown. Thiscentral sleeve 21 is formed into four compartments 19, 20, 22 and 23.The ducts 19 and 22 are open at the right end of the sleeve, asillustrated in Fig. 1, and the ducts 20 and 23 are open at the left end.

Passing longitudinally through the cylinders 11 I provide shafts 24L and25, and on the shaft 24 opposite the rotary piston I provide a roller26, which has a cavity or pocket 27 on its side, as shown. On the shaft25 a similar roller 28 is provided, which has a cavity or pocket 29 onits side. A construction similar to this is provided in the end section6. In each of these end sections a secondary rotary piston is providedhaving a head 30 similar to the head 15 and having a tubular hubprovided with ports 31 and 32, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3,and these ports 31 and 32 extend through the tubular shaft and into theducts 23 and 22 respectively of the inner sleeve.

On the shaft 24 opposite the piston head 30, rollers 33 are provided,which are similar to the rollers 26 and 28 already described. Theserollers are formed with pockets or cavities 34 similar to the recessesor cavities 27 and 28. As indicated the heads 30 are diametricallyopposite to the head 15, and likewise the recesses or pockets 34c arediametrically opposite to the pockets 27 and 29.

The tubular shaft 5 is provided with a gear wheel 35, and this gearwheel meshes with gear wheels 36 of equal diameter, which are rigidlyattached to the shafts 24: and 25,

as shown. These gears are all inclosed in a cover plate 37, providedwith dowel pins 37 received in the head 8; and in this cover plate,tubular stufling boxes 38 are formed for the shafts 24 and 25, andlikewise in the head 7. At the point where the tubular shaft 5 passesthrough the cover plate 37 a suitable stufling box 40 is provided, and asuitable stuffing box 41 is formed at the other side of the engine wherethe hollow shaft passes through the head 7.

At one side of the engine a supply pipe 42 is provided, which admits anoperating fluid such as steam or air; at the junction branches 43 and 44are formed, provided with a three-way cock 45 constructed as shown inFigs. 3 and 4, and which is adapted to admit steam or air from the pipe42 into either of the branches 43 or 44, the other branch at the sametime being cut off. The branches 43 and 44 are formed with elbows andarms 45 and 46, which extend toward the shaft, and these arms 46 and 46attach respectively to sleeves 47 and 48 formed on the tubular shaft, asindicated. The sleeve 47 is formed with an annular duct 49, which issupplied with steam or air by the pipe 46 and a similar annular passage50 is formed in the sleeve 48, which is supplied by the pipe 46 Theright end of the shaft 5 is provided with a stub shaft 51 screwed intoit as indicated, and this shaft is provided with a belt pulley 52 beyondwhich is provided a bearing 53. The other end of the tubular shaft isclosed by a shaft 54, which is screwed into the end of it, as indicated.In the tubular shaft 5 at the right, a plurality of ports 55 are formedin the shape of longitudinal slots, and similar ports 56 are formed inthe shaft and in alinement with the ports 55. At the left end of theshaft, ports 57 are provided similiar to the ports 55, and ports 58 areprovided similar to ports 56. The ends of the sleeves 47 and 48 areprovided with suitable stufling boxes 59, as shown, and at intermediatepoints on the length the sleeves are provided with packing strips 60, asindicated. Near their outer ends the sleeves 47 and 48 are provided withexhaust pipes 61, as shown, and these exhaust pipes are adapted to comeinto alinement with the ports 56 and 58 respectively.

The pipe frame which is formed of the pipes 43 and 44 is adapted to beshifted longitudinally so as to shift the sleeves to change the relationof the ports. For this purpose between the heads 7 and 8, I provide afixed rack 62, and the three-way cock 45 is provided with an operatinglever 63, which has a segment 64 formed thereupon, the teeth of whichmesh with the rack 62. From this arrangement when the lever 63 is throwninto one extreme position, such as shown in Fig. 1, the operating fluidwill be admitted through the pipe 44 and through the passage 50 andports 55 into the tubular shaft 5 at the right of the engine. From thispoint it passes into the ducts 19 and 22 in the valve sleeve 21, andsteam is supplied in this way to the cylinder. After being exhaustedfrom the cylinder, the steam passes through the ports 20 and 23 to theleft end of the tubular shaft and finds exit to the ports 23 and pipe61.

The mode of operation of the steam or air in rotating the rotary pistonswill now be described, referring especially to Fig. 3. The direction ofrotation is indicated by the arrow. The roller 27 has its face normallydisposed against the face of the hub of the piston, and a similarcondition normally ex ists at the right of the engine as viewed in thisfigure. When the piston head 15 arrives at either of the rollers thepockets or recesses of that roller will be in the proper position topermit the piston to pass. On account of this arrangement, within themain section 6 its upper part presents an annular expansion chamber 65,and a similar expansion chamber 66 is formed on its under side. Theseexpansion chambers are maintained closed by the peculiar form of thepiston heads and pockets. As the piston 15 passes into the expansionchamber from the left, the port 17 admits steam or air under pressurebehind the piston head and drives it forwardly, that is, in a right handdirection. When the port 18 communicates with this expansion chamberexhaust takes place. A similar mode of operation takes place as thepiston head passes through the 'lower expansion chamber 66. A mode ofoperation similar to this takes place in the section 6 of the engine.

Special attention is called to the fact that the two piston heads 30 aredisposed diametrically opposite to the piston head 15, and they are ofhalf the weight and effective area of the piston 15, so that the engineis I perfectly balanced in this respect. In a similar manner it will beseen that the pocket the pocket 27 balances the pockets 34 of the roller26.

Attentionis called to the gear wheels 35 and 36 and to the fact thatthey are of equal diameter so that the shafts 24 and 25 rotate at thesame speed as the tubular shaft 5.

It will be evident that an engine constructed as described can run withthe same facility in either direction.

to the direction of rotation indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. Theopposite position of the lever 63 will reverse the engine. Steam 29balances the pockets 34 of roller 28, and

The position of the lever 63 corresponds will then be admitted throughthe branch pipe 45 and through the passage 49 and ports 57 into theducts 20 and 28. In the mid-position of the lever the operating fluid isshut off from both ends and the engine stands idle.

What I claim is:

1. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a shaft passingtherethrough, rotary pistons mounted on said shaft having cylindricalhubs and radial heads, said radial heads being diametrically opposite toeach other, rollers disposed at the sides'of said rotary pistons andadapted to roll on the hubs thereof, said rollers having pockets thereinto permit said heads to pass thereby, said hubs having ports adjacent tosaid heads, and means for conducting an operating fluid to and from saidports Within said shaft.

2. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinderhaving a main sect-ionand side sections, said side sect-ions being substantially half thelength of said main sect-ion, a shaft passing through said cylinder, amain rotary piston mounted on said shaft in said main section, secondaryrotary pistons mounted in said side sections on said shaft, said rotarypistons having cylindrical hubs and radial heads, rollers disposeddiametrically opposite to each other at the sides of said rotary pistonsand adapted to roll on the hubs thereof, said rollers having pockets inthe sides thereof to permit said piston heads to pass, said hubs havingadmissions and exhaust ports therethrough adjacent to said heads, andducts formed in said shaft for the admission and exhaust of theoperating fluid.

In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a shaft passingtherethrough, a rotary piston attached to said shaft within saidcylinder and having ports therein, said shaft being tubular and having aduct leading into one of said ports from one end of said shaft andhaving a duct leading from the other of said ports and from the otherend of said shaft, and valves on said shaft controlling the flow of anoperating fluid through said ports.

4. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a tubular shaftpassing therethrough, a rotary piston mounted in said cylinder on saidshaft, said rotary piston having a port communicating With one end ofsaid tubular shaft and having a port communicating with the other end ofsaid tubular shaft, valves formed on said tubular shaft and controllingthe flow of an operating fluid to said ports, and means forsimultaneously controlling said valves.

5. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a tubular shaftpassing therethrough, a rotary piston mounted in said end of said shaft,said shaft having ports formed therein, sleeves mounted to slide on saidshaft adjacent to said last named ports and controlling the admission ofthe operating fluid to the first named ports, and means for controllingsaid sleeves.

6. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a shaft passingtherethrough, a rotary piston mounted on said shaft and having portstherein, an admission pipe having a threeway cock therein, branch pipesleading from said three-way cock, sleeves attached to said branch pipesand mounted to slide on said shaft, said shaft having ports cooperatingwith said sleeves and having ducts connecting said last ports With saidfirst ports, and means for shifting said sleeves when said three-waycock is moved.

7. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder having a main sectionand side sections, a tubular shaft passing through said cylinder, a mainrotary piston attached to said shaft and rotating in said main section,secondary rotary pistons attached to said shaft and rotating in saidside sections, ports formed in said pistons for admitting and exhaustingthe operating fluid, ducts formed in said tubular shaft for conductingthe operating fluid inwardly from one end of said shaft, ducts formed insaid shaft for carrying off the exhaust fluid at the other end of saidshaft, valves mounted on said shaft and controlling the flow throughsaid ducts, and means for operating said valves.

8. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder having a main sectionand side sections, a tubular shaft passing therethrough, a rotary pistonhaving a radial head attached to said shaft and rotating in said mainsection, secondary rotary pistons having radial heads attached to saidshaft and rotating in said side sections, said secondary rotary pistonshaving their heads diametrically opposite to the head of said firstpiston, an inner sleeve mounted in said tubular shaft and havinglongitudinal ducts, said pistons having ports adapted to communicatewith said ducts to admit and withdraw the operating fluid from saidcylinders, means for admitting the operating fluid at one end of saidshaft, and means for permitting the escape of the operating fluid at theother end of said shaft.

9. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, arotary pistonmounted therein and having ports, a tubular shaft carrying said pistonand having a duct communicating with said ports, said tubular shafthaving ports formed therein, an admission pipe having branches, sleevesconnecting with said branches sliding on said shaft and 00- In Witnessthat I claim the foregoing I operating with said last named ports, meanshave hereunto subscribed my name this 10th 10 i111 saidf aolllmissionpipe ifiordcorliltrolling thg day of September, 1910.

OW 0 t e 0 eratin ui t rou h sai 5 branches, and means actuated siniultane- WILLIAM WEDDINGTON' ously therewith for shifting said sleeves toWitnesses: control the admission from said branches F. D. AMMEN,

into said shaft. EDMUND A. STRAUSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

